Fair Game
by Masquerade Brawler
Summary: He glowered at the smug look on her face. Like she'd won some sort of prize. Like this was all just a game. "I'm fair game. I don't know why you feel so entitled to me. If what I do bothers you so much play against the other boys. Only you'll play for keeps."


The first time she met him he appealed to every single one of her heightened senses.

The first time he met her he didn't understand her one bit.

The effect of their worlds colliding would be unforgettable and irreversible.

Severus Snape was boarding the Hogwarts Express, seeking out his best friend, Lily Evans who was undoubtedly still saying goodbye to her own parents.

All he could manage to give his mother was a half-hearted wave. His father had thankfully opted out of seeing him off.

He realised that his thoughts were growing bitter and tried to shake them off.

'Think about Lily' he suggested to himself.

Just then someone knocked into his back sending him sprawling.

"Oi, watch it runt!" someone snorted.

Severus stood and found he was glaring at a boy not much older than him with hair slightly shorter and better kept than his.

The bespectacled boy with ruffled hair next to him nudged his elbow into his friend's side.

"Sirius, we don't even know him."

"But look at the pathetic little git... He doesn't even look like he washes his hair..."

Severus took the opportunity of the bickering to go search for Lily who had to be on the train by now.

He gave up his search minutes later settling into an empty compartment to rest.

As soon as he sat down the toll of last night's sleeplessness took hold of the eleven-year-old.

He burrowed into the semi-firm cushions as his father's drunken shouts from last night mingled with the sound of his mother being hit began to echo in his mind.

Just as his eyes closed someone started rapping on the glass section of the door.

He huffed in annoyance sliding it open.

The girl he was glaring at was taller than he was, with the strangest looking eyes he'd ever seen in his life and caramel brown hair that was ruffled in the front making her look as if she'd been in a scuffle not too long ago.

If he wasn't so tired, he would have probably found her pretty and been completely awestruck by her presence.

However the only response he dredged up to her appearance was a brittle "What?"

She narrowed her eyes, quickly swallowing her irritation and pride since she had no better choice.

"Mind if I sit here with you? All the other compartments are at least half full."

"And?"

"And I'm just mildly claustrophobic."

He stepped aside silently, yawning before sliding the door closed.

Before he could sit down he heard a hiss then an exasperated "Dammit, Severus!"

"What now?" he growled, turning to see the girl had a tiny, squirming kitten in her arm. He blinked.

"Please don't tell me your cat is named Severus..."

"Uh, why not?"

"Because my name is Severus."

Light brown eyebrows raised in intrigue as the dark haired boy sat across from her.

"I have a friend named Severus-Gerard. He's paler than you though."

He tilted his head.

"You named your cat after your friend."

It was a statement rather than a question.

"My younger brother named the cat. After a Roman emperor. My family has a thing for that."

"You talk a lot."

"You're very blunt, and not at all tactful."

"Should I be?"

"It'd be a nicer option than your current appallingly rude mouth."

He glared at her.

She cast her own purple-grey scorching gaze back at him. The green flecks in her eyes seemed to catch and reflect the light around them.

They sat that way in silence, excluding the kitten's occasional mews.

Suddenly she moved across the small distance between them to sit next to him, sitting the feline in between them as she leaned her head against the window.

He was too exhausted to comment on her erratic behaviour beginning to drift off as opposed to snapping at her.

Before he went to sleep he heard her mutter "You're a prick, but I like you."

Or at least something to that effect.

He woke up not much later to a weight on his shoulder. He didn't bother to find out its source, opting to smile eager at the face in front of him.

"Lily!"

"Hi, Severus." she replied quietly, petting the sleeping kitten in her lap.

"How long have you been here?"

"Not long, but you both were sleeping so I tried to be as quiet as possible. Although... Someone came looking for a girl named Keira. Is she her?" Lily asked gesturing to the head he suddenly realised was on his shoulder.

He realised that even though he had snapped at and traded insults with the girl he didn't know her name.

He flushed slightly.

"I have no idea. Why didn't the boy come in and check?"

Lily shrugged.

"He seemed a little peculiar. Muttered something about harder to find than the dead..."

At the word "dead" the girl shifted uncomfortably in her slumber so that her entire body rested against Severus' side.

"I see your new friend likes you." Lily grinned.

"She's hardly my friend." he sniffed far too young to be abashed by her comment.

Just then the compartment door slammed open, revealing the same boy that knocked Severus over before, complete with his hazel eyed companion from the prior exchange.

"-ames, I'm not saying tha- woah hello."

James shot Lily a bashful half grin that seemed to attempt to apologise for his friend's behaviour.

"Forget the redhead, Potter look at the one on him."

"Sirius honestl- oh."

Sirius smirked obviously pleased with himself.

Another quiet boy in clothes even more worn down than Severus' entered the cabin.

As soon as he crossed the threshold something strange happened.

Lily was too preoccupied studying Sirius with distain too noticed, but Severus had already focused his attention on the silent newcomer.

The girl leaning on him stiffened before waking up.

Her gaze instantly sought out the small amber eyed boy.

Since she hadn't bothered to move upon waking Severus felt her entire body tense and he wondered for a brief insane moment if she was going to attack the boy.

He turned to say something to at least attempt to calm her down and was stunned by the intensity of her gaze.

The forest-green flecks in them seemed to glow with warning and Severus felt the urge to pull away.

The corner of her lip seemed to position itself as if she was going to snarl at the boy in front of them.

The boy being scrutinised quickly scurried out of the compartment.

"Remus?"

"We need to sit somewhere else." he mumbled before hurrying away.

The two remaining boys shrugged obliviously, following their friend.

"What was that?" Severus asked immediately.

"What was what?" the girl next to him yawned as she put distance between them.

He was about to interrogate her further when the sound of a boy crying brought all three children's attention to the door.

"I can't find her anywhere, Ana. What if- she didn't get- on the- the train?"

A voice belonging to a much older girl responded.

"I'm sure you'll find her somewhere."

A sharper male voice that seemed irritated with the younger boy cut in.

"Of course she's on the train. The only person who would ever be capable of missing this train is you."

The girl whose name Severus still hadn't asked stood up and taunted: "Be nice Frederick." from the doorframe.

"Keir!" the crying boy's voice exclaimed as a boy with paler skin than everyone in the compartment (and quite possibly everyone on the train) hugged her with such enthusiasm that she was knocked into her prior seat with the addition of her friend on her lap.

"Is that the boy who was looking for her?" Severus whispered.

Lily nodded as the boy and girl that had been talking entered the compartment after the smallest member of their group.

The girl had on her school robes and a Prefect badge already.

The boy looked like he would be happier going on a murder spree.

"I told you she was here." Ana said, smiling.

The boy glared at Severus with black-flecked brown eyes and something about him made the younger boy uneasy.

Frederick smirked before sitting down next to him as far as possible.

The boy on Keira's lap smiled warmly at Lily, offering his hand as he stood.

"I'm Severus-Gerard Augusto Ferrum. Most people just call me SG for convenience. Never call me Severus though."

Lily laughed when Severus rolled his eyes, taking the boy's hand.

"Nice to meet you SG. I'm Lily Evans."

SG immediately turned around giving Snape the same introduction.

"Severus Snape." he replied hesitantly taking the boy's hand.

"Heleana." the black-haired girl said waving. "Their." She paused to point at SG and Frederick. "Older sister."

"Freddy." the irritated looking boy drawled.

"The little dipshit's older brother." he sighed, inclining his head at SG.

"Keira Septimis Black. No relation to the wizarding Blacks or anyone in this compartment for that matter."

Keira pushed at SG and he rose from her lap to sit next to Lily.

He turned to the girl next to him.

"You have beautiful hair, Love." he observed, picking up a strand to inspect.

"Thank you." Lily chuckled.

"He's a little crowd pleaser, he is." Freddy mocked.

SG frowned at his brother.

"All I said was she had nice hair. Why the hell do you always have a stick jammed so far up your arse?!"

Freddy cracked his knuckles.

"Excuse me?"

SG whimpered, drawing away from Lily, pressing as far into the corner of the seat as he could when his brother stood up.

Keira stood as well, facing off with the ill-mannered boy by standing on the table.

She didn't say a word but the same fire in her eyes that had scared the Remus boy off was back.

"What?" Freddy taunted.

"I'll be damned if you hit him in front of me. Sit down Frederick. Before I decide to sit you down."

Dark eyes rolled, but the teen obeyed and sat down just as the candy trolley woman stuck her head into the seating area.

"Sweets, dearies?"

"Have any Blood Pops?"

Lily and Severus stared at Keira.

"What?" she asked finding her request completely reasonable.

"Well... Those are for vampires, dear."

SG tilted his head a curious smile on his face.

"My friend and I are doing a study that has to do with vampires and their lifestyles. It's an extracurricular thing. Her father's obsessed" Freddy drawled gesturing to Keira.

"If you don't have any that's fine but there's no need to patronise me." she grumbled, crossing her arms.

"Anyone else want anything?" she continued, clearly offended.

"I'll pass." Snape sighed not mentioning the fact he couldn't exactly pay for any extra treats. However a very observant peer didn't miss the look of disappointment on his face.

SG got up, poking him in the side.

"What?"

"If you do want something I'll pay for it."

"Why?"

SG rolled his bright Caribbean green eyes.

"Because we're friends."

"Are we?"

The boy looked confused, and slightly hurt.

"Do you not wanna be?"

"I don't actually know you."

Heleana asked the woman for Droobles, paying as she watched the exchange.

"Well do you have a particular reason to not like me?" SG challenged.

"No."

"Then we are friends." he reasoned triumphantly.

"I suppose."

Keira patted Severus' shoulder.

"He got me with that one too. Dun worry he grows on you... Like a rash."

Severus snorted.

"Shut up, Black."

"Make me, Ferret."

SG stuck out his tongue as the trolley woman dug out some Blood Pops and handed them to Freddy.

Freddy tossed two haphazardly into Keira's lap.

"Thanks Asswipe."

"Anytime Marcus."

Severus started to feel increasingly uncomfortable seated between the constantly bickering pair, and pleaded with Lily for assistance with his eyes.

SG picked up the signal before Lily even glanced in Severus' direction.

"Switch seats with me so I can pinch Keira." he demanded, winking.

Severus quickly obliged, letting SG settle in between the two.

He couldn't help but notice the bigger two made him look like a sort of gothic porcelain doll between them. It was strangely endearing.

Freddy and Keira suddenly chuckled. Severus attributed it to the strangeness that seemed to pervade the entire group besides Heleana.

SG stretched out his torso slumping over so his head was in Keira's lap.

Keira smiled running her hands gently through the white locks.

Severus cleared his throat.

"SG?"

"Yisss?" He purred, his hands clenching and unclenching in bliss.

"Is that your natural hair?"

It was a reasonable question since SG's hair was white. Not white blonde, a stark bone white.

"A complex inquiry you are inquiring."

"Come again?"

"I was born with brown hair but it is now naturally white. According to my father it'll either stay white or turn black when I hit puberty."

He started humming softly within his throat and was asleep in two more minutes.

"You coddle him too much." Freddy complained.

"I don't coddle him. I show him I care. He's my best friend. And you're horrid to him. I don't understand why you beat up on him so much. Leave him the hell alone, he's got enough problems without having to worry about you putting him in a coma."

Freddy rolled his eyes.

"She's right and you know it." Helena added quietly.

"How the hell is he going get tougher? I'm waiting for the little pint to hit me back."

Keira sighed.

"You'll be waiting forever, then." she mumbled.

"Why?"

"The day when Gee and I first met he swore to me he'd never hurt anyone he loves, no matter what. As hard as it is to believe Frederick that includes you."

Lily nudged Severus.

"I feel like we're intruding on something." she whispered.

"You aren't really." Keira sighed, despite the fact that Lily's whisper was almost inaudible.

"Severus, the boy told me to give you these before he conked out." she continued, handing him two packs of Chocolate Frogs.

The boy's eyebrows rose as he took the candies.

"When did he buy these?"

"While Freddy and I were snarling at each other he's very subtle at the oddest times."

Freddy huffed, standing.

"Like hell I'm staying in the same place with him." he growled, stalking from the cabin.

Heleana followed him obviously worried about his ability to stay out of trouble.

An orange haired boy with bright pale green eyes and a serious expression on his face settled into the seat the eldest Ferrum had deserted

A boy with a wide smile on his face and sandy brown hair followed closely, sitting in Freddy's vacant seat.

He waved at Severus and Lily.

"Hullo all, name's Roy Smith."

"It's actually Roylind but tell them what you wish." Keira supplied absently.

The other newcomer stayed silent until Lily turned to him.

"I'm Lily Evans, who are you?"

He tilted his head, staring at her extended hand until she withdrew it.

"Ethan." he seemed to whisper, his answer was so soft.

"I would be more enthusiastic but I happen to be in a terrible mood. And tired."

He pushed his hands deeper into the crimson Muggle sweathood he was wearing, leaning his head against the seat rail next to him.

"Keira." SG trilled, pinching her.

"Ow, what?" she replied, swatting at his hand.

"Sing."

"Not a chance."

Lily turned to Keira in polite interest.

"You sing?"

"In the shower." she muttered, staring down her long pale nose at her thumbs she'd begun to tap together.

SG began talking very quickly in a voice filled with pride.

"She sings, dances, acts, plays the guitar, dr-"

"And I'm shite at it all so it's a waste of time making a list." she suddenly snapped, standing and storming off to a bathroom.

SG looked after her his eyes quickly filling with tears.

"I'm the worst best friend ever."

Severus rolled his eyes.

"You are not. She has an inadequacy issue, that isn't your fault. It's something _she_ has to overcome."

Ethan's light green gaze slowly focused on the inky-haired boy.

It continued to bore into him made even sharper by the sudden silence in the car.

Severus finally folded under the pressure.

"Yes, Ethan?"

"Go find her right now. Talk to her and when you come back tell me if you think she can solve her inadequacy issue on her own."

There was something so compelling about the boy's quiet demand that arguing or refusing didn't even come to Severus' mind.

Once he left the rest of the group finding her bathroom was ridiculously simple.

It was the open one where a girl had shoved herself into the furthest corner and was crying into her raised knees.

Severus began to feel uneasy as he walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

He had a feeling the girl he was about to talk would not be the same girl who'd argued with him, and then fell asleep on his shoulder, only to wake and scare off another first-year with only her eyes.

"What's your problem?" he tried to sneer his voice cracking when she looked up at him.

Her expression was a cross between agony and irritation.

"Go away, Snape."

He stepped closer to sit on the toilet.

"No."

He felt strange saying that. Usually he would've huffed and stalked off at those words but something about Ethan's command made it impossible to leave even after seeing her like this.

"You don't even know me. And you don't seem to like me either."

"Tell me what's wrong, so we can leave this ridiculous place." he prompted.

That push was apparently all she needed.

"The way SG was talking about all those things he thought I could do made it seem like I was the most fantastic person on the Earth, but the truth is I throw myself into being good at all those things to make up for the biggest mistake I ever made."

Severus found himself hanging onto every rushed, angst filled word and when she stopped talking he couldn't help himself from wanting to hear her talk more.

"What was that?"

She sighed, standing and showing him an ankle that bore a thin circular scar around it.

"I chose the wrong boy. And loved him more than myself."

She started to leave and he shocked the both of them when he grabbed her by the belt loop.

"You can't just tell me that and leave it unexplained."

"Ye, I can. It boosts the cryptic mysterious cliché that I'm using for my first school year. It's supposed to be alluring."

"That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

She grabbed the hand at her waist, using it to drag him from the room, thinking that for such a huge prick, Severus Snape could be awfully nice.

How strange.

As she pulled him from the room, an older Hufflepuff boy stared at them shocked.

While Severus didn't completely understand the implications of the stare, Keira did and gave the already startled boy a suggestive wink.

He flushed and she snorted.

Their fingers were still linked as they walked into the compartment and everyone noticed.

SG crossed to sit next to Lily. Roy scooted over to the window. Lily smiled at them and Ethan had fallen asleep.

Keira raised her eyebrows at the group before noticing the continued intertwined state of their hands and pulling away quickly.

"Gerard, you of all people know it isn't like that. And probably won't ever be again." she admonished, rubbing her arm.

Her friend just smiled and commanded "Have a seat."

She sat down, glaring at him as Severus sat next to her.

She directed her attention to Lily who now looked slightly confused.

"So how long have you and Severus been friends?"

"Ages."

"So I take it you're best friends."

Lily nodded.

"He's a nice enough kid."

"He's right here." Severus interrupted

"If you can get over the face he's an obnoxious little heathen." she deadpanned.

Roy snorted, SG looked completely scandalised, Lily giggled, and Ethan turned his head and was now sleeping on Lily's shoulder.

She turned Keira concerned.

"Is he sick?"

"Not that I know of, why?" Keira answered.

"He's hot to the touch. Even his hair it seems."

SG shook his head.

"That's just Ethan. He's always been like that."

"And you're cold." Lily said to him.

"Naturally."

"Are we just going to ignore the fact that she just insulted me?" Severus asked glaring at Keira.

"And he's a bit whiny."

Severus looked around at everyone else.

SG shrugged.

Severus the kitten stretched and sprung off of Lily's lap and into Severus the wizard's lap, curling up and yawning before laying a paw across his nose and going back to sleep.

Ethan murmured something in his sleep, shifting slightly causing some of his pumpkin coloured hair to mingle with Lily's brighter red.

"Ginger squared." Keira called naming the new colour instantly.

No one else noticed. They were all focused on Severus' face which was slowly going pink.

All of a sudden he broke the heavy silence.

"Like you're one to talk! Yes, you have serious problems but that doesn't give you the right to behave like an arrogant five-year old. How about you grow up instead of lashing out at the people who care about you!" he ranted suddenly.

Keira smiled angelically holding her hand out to Roy.

Roy grumbled something about Gypsy magic before digging twenty Sickles out of his pocket and depositing them into her hand.

She counted off ten, handing them to Severus.

"What in Merlin's name?"

"I bet Roy twenty Sickles I could piss someone off before the Sorting. Since I couldn't have done it without you I figured you deserved half."

Severus shook his head, starting when she whispered in his ear.

"Thanks for getting me out of the bathroom. I won't forget it."

Up this close her hair smelled like vanilla, just strong enough to make one want to smell harder for even more of the scent.

Before he could she leaned back and addressed the group.

"We should dress for school, yeah?"

The group broke to follow her suggestion after Severus woke Ethan and the quiet exchange was completely forgotten by Severus.

Keira never forgot that in his tirade Severus had suggested he cared about her.

* * *

**A/N I'm testing out a new thing. Reviews please. Tell me if I screwed anything up, yeah?**


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